Swaddle blankets and suits are big business. Funnily enough they also feature on lots of “Most Pointless Baby Product” lists too. Yet here are so many benefits to swaddling baby, from helping her to settle at night, to ensuring she stays on her back whilst she sleeps. As your baby is encased in the fabric, you also know they’ll be warm enough in their cot - there’s definitely no kicking these bad boys off!

Although Heidi is a fairly good sleeper, we do watch her toss and turn in her cot on the baby monitor. She’s a real fidget and there’s simply no guessing which position she’ll be in come the morning. I worry constantly that she’ll become tangled in her blanket but there’s simply no stopping her. This despite having tried a number of highly recommended swaddle suits. Each time, we last a week with them before the drawer monster swallows them. Heidi isn’t keen on them as a whole as she loves chewing on her fingers and grabbing her feet.

Hearing all about Heidi’s bedtime athletics, US Brand Comfort and Harmony recently sent me a Peanut Leggies Swaddle to try. They felt their swaddle suit offered something a little different that just might placate my bucking baby. So I thought I’d take one last shot and readily accepted the offer - with the nights getting cooler I’m anxious we find something to keep her snug and warm.

 

So what makes this different?

It’s a funny looking thing. It’s a regular swaddle on top with separate legs on the bottom, so baby gets the usual benefits but can sit safely in their bouncer or kick their little legs to their hearts content. When securely in the swaddle, your baby should be bound in a peanut shape (hence the name) which gently hugs shoulders and hips. It’s also made from breathable and flexible Bebeflex fabric that allows baby to move naturally inside the swaddle.

Like most swaddles nowadays, The Peanut Leggies also features a zip to stop baby extricating herself. The Top-Down, Bottom-Up Zipper (again a common feature) also makes it easy to undertake a nappy change whilst baby is swaddled up.

And how did we get on?

I’ve had this product now for 3 weeks and I’m really not sure what to make of it.

The Good Points

• The sizing is really quite generous
• The integrated feet are a neat and welcome feature
• The fabric is great - tons of stretch for little wrigglers
• Heidi will (and does) sleep soundly in it

The Not So Good

In my experience babies mostly sleep (whether on their backs or tummies) with their arms in a upright position. The arms-down position is unnatural for Heidi and we have to wait until she begins to doze before strapping her in.

Heidi really does look like a straight-jacketed Elvis when she’s swaddled up. As she’s so fond of her tummy time, she’s still able to flip onto her tummy, but she struggles to lift her head without the use of her arms. This means she often face-plants her mattress, playmat or the floor. This makes me feel incredibly uncomfortable. I therefore would not recommend this product if your baby has a propensity to sleep on their front, or if they are indulging in tummy-time.

The website states “Peanut Leggies is a leg-free swaddle (that) can be worn safely in 3-point harness bouncers”, yet I’d strongly advice against this. I wouldn’t ever place Heidi in a Jumperoo or doorway bouncer in one of these. In either of these toys, babies will need their hands for balance and exploration. Suggesting the Peanut Leggies is an option for playtime feels like a contradiction to me. Swaddles should be used to help babies settle and rest, not when they are awake and alert.

Finally, I’m not a huge fan of the zip. You secure it under babies chin with a popper that is supposed to stop the zip coming into contact with babies skin, but this still irritates Heidi. A hood over the zip would be a much better solution.

The Better Product

Although this review hasn’t been glowing, there’s no denying that Heidi appears comfortable in her swaddle. When researching the product, I spotted the Peanut Leggies sister product, The Peanut Convertible. This retains many of the features of the swaddle we were sent with optional armholes that can be opened easily. I’d be far more inclined to recommend this product.

Unfortunately however, the Peanut Convertible does not have separate legs.

I think Comfort and Harmony have missed a real trick here. They’re definitely onto something with their products, but they just seem to fall short. My instincts tell me that any one of the products below would be fabulous for a baby from 0-3 months. For babies aged 3 months plus, a fusion of the convertible and leggies would be a really innovative and versatile product, and the only product needed.

The Peanut Leggies Swaddle will be available to buy from Babies R Us later this month. To find out more, you can visit the website or connect with them on Facebook or Twitter.